By Nformuluh Tanji
“We
urge the Government to redress the alleged grievances raised by these former
separatist fighters as a matter of urgency”, said Clarkson Obasi, director of
HELP-OUT, which has been operating in Cameroon since 1998.
“HELP
OUT fears that if government does not treat with seriousness the grievances of
the ex-fighters, this will discourage hundreds of fighters in the bushes who
may be willing to surrender their arms and join the Disarmament, Demobilization
and Reintegration (DDR) Centre”
The
ex-combatants, who for months have been camped at a government structure known
as DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Rehabilitation) Centre,in the premises
of Borstal Institute , staged the street protest by barricading the Borstal Inistitute junction-Bokwaongo stretch
of road, disrupting traffic and causing panic in Buea.
The protesting ex-combatants who before were separatists fighting for the independence of minority English-speakers in Cameroon, had
been convinced by Biya government into surrendering their weapons
in exchange for protection and better living conditions including job opportunities.
The
call on separatist fighters to lay down their arms has been part of sustained
efforts by Cameroon government towards resolving the
Anglophone crisis, which erupted in 2016 and has led to the death of thousands
of both civilians and armed forces, and wanton destruction of property
estimated in billions of FCFA.
The
protesting ex-fighters complained of being poorly fed, .poor living conditions and
unfulfilled job promises by the Government.
The
protest forced Southwest regional military and government officials who
included Dr. Mohamadou, who is Secretary-General at Southwest Governor’s office
in Buea to meet with the protesters, during which meeting the latter were appeased
and told the Government, would look into their worries urgently.
HELP
OUT Director Obasi, in the press release, reiterated that Cameroon being a signatory
to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international
conventions “must take the promotion and protection of Human Rights as a
priority and not an option”.
The
National Disarmament,Demobilization and Reintegration Committee, abbreviated as
"NDDRC" was created on
November 30,2018 by Cameroon’s President
Paul Biya and placed under the authority of the Prime
Minister and Head of Government.
The
NDDRC is responsible among other duties of: taking the necessary steps to
de-radicalize ex-fighters; sensitizing and providing multifaceted assistance to
home communities to facilitate the reintegration of ex-fighters; helping to reintegrate
ex-fighters into civil Iife, particularly by organizing, trainings and providing
them with tools and means of production and assistance for the creation of
income-generating activities.
The NDDRC has regional centres in Bamenda, Nothwest Region; Buea,Southwest Region and
Mora in the Far North region,but more such centres can be set up when and where necessary.
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